“Welcome to Titanic People, a celebration of the intelligence, creativity and courage of people who define this legendary Belfast neighbourhood. The spot where you’re standing may seem like a rather unremarkable part of Belfast, but it’s the epicentre of some of the city’s most remarkable citizens and their fascinating life stories. Some famous, other relatively unknown, but each born or employed within the sound of the shipyards’ riveters’ hammers and all with compelling personal histories that continue to reverberate locally and internationally. Westbourne Presbyterian Church whose grounds play host to this exhibition, is known locally as the Shipyard Church due to its proximity to Belfast’s famous docks and the home of the world-famous ship builders, Harland & Wolff. Opened in 1880, many of the workers who helped to build RMS Titanic would have brought their families here each week for Sunday Worship. It still serves a local congregation today and the pews inside haven’t changed. When you’ve finished reading about Titanic People, you are more than welcome to come inside and take the same seats occupied by those shipyard workers more than a century ago.”
At the front entrance to Westbourne Presbyterian, on the Newtownards Road, next to the new WWII memorial. See also The Yardmen on the other side of the Newtownards Road.
“South Belfast remembers [the] 10th Royal Irish Rifles, South Belfast, [and the] 36th (Ulster) Division.” Printed panels illustrating the engagements of the British Army in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have been added to the three stones (seen in Continuing Conflicts) that marked the World Wars and “continuing conflicts”.
The conflicts depicted are the Great War 1914-1918, Second World War 1939-1945 (with individual photos of James Magennis and Blair Mayne, Korean War 1950-1953, Northern Ireland 1969-2007, Falklands War 1982 (the photo on the right is of troops “yomping”), Iraq 2003-2011, Afghanistan 2001-2023.
Óglach Billy McKee, Óglach Alex Murphy, Óglach Breandan [Brendan/Breandán] Hughes (The Dark)” are featured in a new D Company board on the anti-Agreement wall below the Falls Garden Of Remembrance.
In the bottom corners is the emblem of Glór Na hÓglaıgh (Fb), a new (March 2026) “revolutionary republican socialist political party”, associated with Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann and feuding with the RNU.
As in the previous board, Alex Murphy is included (on the left); Murphy was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of the two Signals corporals (Wood and Howes) in 1988 (UPI). He was released in 1998 under the provisions of the Agreement and died in 2019 (Pensive Quill). (The D Company board on the International Wall (Visual History) features Kieran Nugent rather than Murphy.)
Dual-language (Irish and English) traffic signs and road-markings have been mounted/painted on the Falls Road in the Gaeltacht Quarter (specifically, between Springfield Road and Whiterock Road) by the Department Of Infrastructure/An Roinn Bonneagaır.
For other signs and markings – “Lána bus”, “Glanbhealach uırbeach, Luan go hAoıne [agus] ın am ar bıth ar an chosán”, “Deıreadh an lána bhus”, “Coınnıgh saor”, “Ceamaraí lána bus” – see the Paddy Duffy Collection.
These headlines from two Belfast newspapers were enlarged and attached to poles in Newtownabbey, between Rathcoole and Rathfern, in order to reinforce the anti-immigrant narrative that was the foundation of the riots in June – see McMaster Street Remembers.
There are two from Belfast Live and one from the News Letter: “Three men charged with rape after ‘serious sexual assault’ in Belfast” (from Feb 25th, 2026), “Asylum seeker to stand trial on charges of raping teenage boy at derelict Belfast nightclub” (from Feb 14th, 2026), “Somali man extradited to NI after absconding while charged with rape is denied bail” (from Feb 24th, 2026).
“1914 West Belfast regiment, Ulster Volunteer Force – 36th (Ulster) division, Royal Irish Rifles.” Men from the West Belfast Ulster Volunteers – which included the Shankill and Woodvale areas – joined the 9th battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, which became part of the 107th brigade of the 36th division.
The main part of this new gable-sized board places two colourised photographs on top of each other. The first (upper) photo shows shows the first and second battalions of the West Down regiment being presented with their colours in May, 1914 (CyberProd). The second (lower) photo shows the first and second battalions of the West Belfast regiment receiving the Kings colours in May, 1914 (CyberProd).
In the bottom left corner is a poem called “Sons of Ulster” written on a scroll: “Muster round me Sons of Ulster,/And pay heed to what I speak,/Of the war to end all wars,/In the place where hell is deep.//Go and help to save the Empire,/Glorious deeds shall Ulster reap./Go and fight for King and Country,/In the place where hell is deep.//The order goes out – “Fix Bayonets!”/As Zero Hour does creep,/Ulster’s prime stands tall in line,/In the place where hell is deep.//No-Man’s Land hears a whistling band,/From Thiepval Wood they sweep./The crosses grow where the Ancre flows,/In the place where hell is deep.//With bomb and gun they repelled the Hun,/The Redoubt they die to keep./They fought as one did Ulster’s Sons,/In the place where hell is deep.//To the Glory of God on this sacred sod,/Where Ulster’s Blood does seep,/Yours and mine slaughtered like swine,/In the place where hell is deep.//Death patiently waits in this stalemate,/For Ulster’s love will weep,/The poppies grow where the Ancre flows,/In the place where hell is deep.”
In the bottom right, the Ulster Tower is dedicated: “‘Field Marshall Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, 1st Baronet, GCB, DSO, MP, Colonel Commandant, Rifle Brigade, Chief Of The Imperial General Staff. Field Marshall Sir Henry Hughes Wilson of County Longford, was one of the most senior British Staff Officers to serve int he First World War. On 18th November 1921, in the stead of Sir Edward Carson and Sir James Craig, who were both ill at the time, Sir Henry undertook the solemn duty of dedicating the newly constructed Ulster Memorial Tower, on the site of the Somme battlefield. Tragically, on 22nd June 1922, Sir Henry, who also served as a Unionist politician, was assassinated outside his London home.”
Conway Street, Shankill, west Belfast, replacing Ulster Tower.
The United States Of America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its adoption of the Declaration Of Independence today, July 4th, 2026. In the Declaration, delegates from the thirteen (former) colonies set out their reasons for voting to overthrow British rule on July 2nd, noting twenty-seven grievances against the reigning monarch, George III of Great Britain And Ireland. At the time, the American Revolution was ongoing, and the Continental Congress meeting this time in Philadelphia was soon compelled to move to Baltimore, Maryland; the permanent Congress was not established until 1781.
On the left of the board, various symbols of the eventual United States Of America – John Trumbull’s painting ‘Declaration Of Independence’ (image at WP) and a bald eagle upon a Stars And Stripes formed by an outline of the eastern sea-board (which for an unknown reason lists New Castle (not “Newcastle”) alongside Philadelphia), the Liberty Bell, an “America 250 years” pin, the Seal, the Declaration, and a trapper or frontiersman who represents the westward expansion of European Americans – including the Scotch-Irish (Ulster Sails West) – across the continent.
The “liberty and law” emblem, with the red hand against the stars and stripes, surrounded by a garland of thistle and shamrock, is unknown.
The seated gentleman is James Hoban, a Catholic from Co Kilkenny, who studied architecture in Dublin and (after emigrating in 1878) designed the White House – a three-storey model (later reduced to two) is on the desk behind his quill – and (in the framed picture behind him) the Charleston (South Carolina) court-house.
In the centre is a quote attributed to James Buchanan, “My Ulster blood is my most priceless heritage”; for confusion over the quote see James Buchanan. Buchanan is also pictured (next to the word “Donegal”). The Great Seal was designed by Charles Thomson, originally from Maghera. He was also a signatory to the Declaration.
The crown above the red hand is probably the Tudor Crown, destroyed in 1649 (WP). A bed of shamrock supports the title banner.
The Ulster-Scots lineage of seventeen presidents (plus vice-president Andrew Calhoun) is presented along the bottom between the mottos “E pluribus unum” and “In God we trust”. (The Ulster-Scots Agency has a pdf of the Presidents.)
On the right, the poster marked “Eagle’s Wings”, under the Buchanan quote, also appears to come from the Ulster-Scots Agency. It is actually about the Eagle Wing, the ship pictured to the poster’s left (as imagined by water-colour painter Dan Parsons) that undertook the first voyage of Scots-Irish to North America in 1636. The journey was not a success: the roughly 140 dissenters returned to Ireland and some went to Scotland to avoid continued persecution (Presbyterian History.)
The ‘Blue Plaques’ of various notable figures are superimposed upon a period map: John Wallace Crawford, Francis Makemie, James McGregor, Charles Thomson, John Dunlap, Ezekiel Donnell, James Buchanan, Oliver Pollock, Thomas J ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, Robert Adrain, James Holmes. The portraits are of James Buchanan, Teddy Roosevelt (above Andrew Jackson’s ancestral cottage in Carrickfergus), Davey Crockett, and an unknown female figure (comment/get in touch if you can identify her).
The gravestone is to the Rev William Martin, a Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) minister, who led a contingent of 1,000 people in five ships in 1772 to Charlestown, South Carolina (Reformation History | History Ireland). The flag is the flag of the Covenanters (WP).
“Celebrating our heritage, inspiring tomorrow.” This year’s Greater Shankill Community Festival began on June 30th with the launch of Ulster’s American Connection and will end with a Siege Of Derry re-enactment on July 11th – the full programme can be found on Fb. One event included in the festival is the “Long Kesh Inside Out” exhibition in the Shankill ACT, which opened on June 1st.
Shore Crescent prepares for Eleventh Night with a bonfire and a large sign explaining the positive impact of the tradition:
“Shore Crescent bonfire – a proud loyalist tradition. Standing firm in our heritage, our loyalty & our values. Faith – loyalty – respect – heritage. [The bonfire …] Celebrates our heritage – honours our history, culture and the sacrifices made by those who went before us; strengthens our community – brings families, friends and neighbours together, building unity, pride and a sense of belonging; affirms our loyalty – a clear and proud expression of our loyalty to the Crown and the United Kingdom; educates & remembers – teaches future generations the importance of our traditions and the true meaning behind them; promotes respect & pride – shows respect for our values and beliefs and promotes pride in being Loyalist; supports local [groups] & raises funds – helps support local groups, charities and initiatives that make a real difference; secures our future – by standing together today, we protect our identity, freedom and way of life for tomorrow. One tradition. One community. One loyal people. Shore Crescent loyal.”
Next to Loughside Playground, Shore Road, north Belfast
The UVF boards at the junction of London and My Lady’s roads in east Belfast have been completely replaced (compared to 2022). The hooded gunmen on the short side have been replaced by “Joy, peace, love” while a tribute to David Ervine now replaces the lettering reading “East Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force”. (For more about Ervine, and the UVF roll of honour, see the parallel entry in the Paddy Duffy Collection.)
The largest panel remains a tribute to the dead of WWI, specifically now the “3rd battalion (Mountpottinger)” of the East Belfast regiment of the Ulster Volunteers who “marched to the old town hall in Victoria Street accompanied by the Duke Of York Pipe Band and around 270 members volunteered”. The long text explains the negotiation between Kitchener and Craig over the formation of the 36th Division, that the East Belfast volunteers joined the 8th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, and that “training took place at Ballykinlar in County Down and the Battalion became known as “Ballymacarret’s Own”.”
The final image shows the trio of photographs of the UVF flute band. The middle photograph has been changed since the launch, as it was of the band marching past the site of the 1992 Sean Graham bookies massacre to which family-members of the victims objected (Crime World) – again, see the parallel entry in the Paddy Duffy Collection. The photograph now in its place is of the band outside the Longfellow bar, which still stands in My Lady’s Road, facing these boards.
The full (and uncorrected) text of the central information board reads as follows: “Recruitment of the East Belfast Volunteers to the 36th (Ulster) Division Association began on Monday 7th September 1914. The 3rd Battalion (Mountpottinger) marched to the old town hall in Victoria Street accompanied by the Duke of York Pipe Band and around 270 members volunteered. By Monday 14th September 1044 men from the East Belfast Volunteers enlisted in the 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. This number represented slightly over 10% of the East Belfast’s UVF strength. There were reasons why all the East Belfast Volunteers did not enlist in 8 RIR. Many UVF men were Reservists, therefore when war was declared they were called back to their original units. By the 3rd October there was 15 officers and 1065 other ranks. [We] cannot mention the 8th Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment in 1914 without mentioning th[e East] Belfast Regiment of the Ulster Volunteer Force. The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was formed in January 1913 in response to the threat of Home Rule by the government in Westminster. The Unionist leadership at the time of the Home Rule Crises was led by Edward Carson and James Craig and it was they along with others who established the UVF. The East Belfast Regiment consisted of 6 battalions:– Willowfield, Avoniel, Mountpottinger, Victoria, Strandtown & Knock, Newtownbreda and Ballynafeigh. In May 1914 the Regiments strength as 7100 by the Royal Irish Constabulary. The volunteers consisted of mainly working-class men employed in the shipyards and other industries that fed the industrial revolution. On 6th August 1914, Lord Kitchener, issued a blunt request to Colonel T.E. Hickman (President of the British League for the Defence of Ulster and an Inspector General of the UVF): “I want the Ulster Volunteers”. Hickman suggested Kitchener negotiate with James Craig and Edward Carson. Thus began a month of meetings and horse trading between these men, before the Ulster Division was established. Initially Carson wanted guarantees. The Home Rule issue was to be sorted before he committed the volunteers. He insisted if the UVF joined, then they should be kept as a single division and not spread piecemeal throughout the army. He further demanded this division should have the title “Ulster” attached to it. Kitchener initially opposed these requests, believing the UVF should simply enlist. Once he accepted a single division would be created, he tried to prevent the title Ulster being used, noting other locally recruited units did not enjoy this privilege. Meetings continued throughout August, and near the end of the month a deal was struck: the Home Rule Bill would be passed on 18th September, but would be immediately suspended; permission was given to form a division; the Ulster prefix was deemed acceptable; and Hickman and Craig were appointed chief recruiting officers. The 8th Battalion Royal Irish Rifled was formed, mainly but not exclusively from the East Belfast Volunteers. Training took place at Ballykinlar in County Down and the Battalion became know as “Ballymacarrets Own”. It took part in the 36th (Ulster) Division Review which saw thousands of members of the 36th marching past Belfast City Hall in front of tens of thousands of families and friends before departing to England were training would take place before they sailed for France. They moved into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 11 October 1915. As they were new to the fron line, each company of the battalion was attached to other serving regiments for instruction. The first casualty was recorded in the trenches at Mailly-Maillet on 15th October 1915. Second Lieutenant RME Pettigrew was shot through the face later sent back to England. Pettigrew was the first officer from the 8th Battalion to be wounded on active service. He never recovered from his wounds and died on 10th June 1916. The Battle of the Somme commenced on the 1st July 1916 and ended on the 18th November 1916. However it was the first two days on the horrendous battle that saw the 36th (Ulster) Division achieve it’s goals but due to the failure on it’s flanks by other Divisions the land gained was lost as the Ulstermen suffered huge casualties and left the frontline on the 2nd July. Some 5000 men from the Division died or where injured on the 1st July. Their contribution drew priase from many including the King and to this day their sacrifice not just at the Somme but in Flanders Fields, Belgium is remembered with pride and dignity throughout the province of Ulster. The fields of the Somme and Flanders contain grave after grave after grave of our forefathers who never came home and lie in foreign fields. Their sacrifice should never be forgotten.”
